TY - JOUR
T1 - Opportunities and challenges of digital competencies for women tourism entrepreneurs in Latin America
T2 - a gendered perspective
AU - Khoo, Catheryn
AU - Yang, Elaine Chiao Ling
AU - Tan, Rosalie Ying Yang
AU - Alonso-Vazquez, Marisol
AU - Ricaurte-Quijano, Carla
AU - Pécot, Mathias
AU - Barahona-Canales, Doménica
N1 - Funding Information:
As a direct result of the findings from these interviews, a one-day free training programme was developed specifically for women entrepreneurs in Ecuador and Mexico. The programme was funded by the Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Council on Australia Latin America Relations (COALAR) grant. The face-to-face digital training programme was designed to improve the EDCs of WTEs from a gendered perspective. The programme emphasised a tailored approach to balancing theoretical and practical learning. Based on the challenges identified in this study, the content was designed in a way where the trainees could engage with the learning activities using mobile devices rather than a laptop or desktop. During the session, the trainer and training assistants worked with trainees of varying levels of experience to set up and create content on digital platforms. Given the women’s concerns about cyber safety, security and work-life balance, the training content also covered a section on digital well-being. As domestic responsibility was found to be a barrier to women’s participation in training, we created a family-friendly environment where young children were welcomed.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - While increasingly more economic and social exchanges are taking place in the digital environment globally, women entrepreneurs’ access to, and adoption of, digital platforms cannot be assumed to happen naturally due to gender and social inequalities that are being replicated in the online environment. This study investigates the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial digital competencies for women tourism entrepreneurs (WTEs) in Latin America from a gendered perspective. A total of 33 interviews were conducted with women tourism entrepreneurs in Mexico and Ecuador. The findings reveal that women tourism entrepreneurs can and have been empowered through utilising digital technologies and digital platforms, but they face significant challenges and barriers, including the lack of digital competencies; lack of access to digital devices, infrastructure, and training; reliance on supporting staff and family members; and concerns around safety, security and work-life balance. This study contributes to existing entrepreneurship literature by identifying the social and structural inequalities that impede growth in women’s tourism business. The findings also highlight how women are disadvantaged in gaining digital competencies because of the macro gender digital divide and micro-level factors. Implications for women’s entrepreneurship policy development in relation to digital competencies are provided.
AB - While increasingly more economic and social exchanges are taking place in the digital environment globally, women entrepreneurs’ access to, and adoption of, digital platforms cannot be assumed to happen naturally due to gender and social inequalities that are being replicated in the online environment. This study investigates the opportunities and challenges of entrepreneurial digital competencies for women tourism entrepreneurs (WTEs) in Latin America from a gendered perspective. A total of 33 interviews were conducted with women tourism entrepreneurs in Mexico and Ecuador. The findings reveal that women tourism entrepreneurs can and have been empowered through utilising digital technologies and digital platforms, but they face significant challenges and barriers, including the lack of digital competencies; lack of access to digital devices, infrastructure, and training; reliance on supporting staff and family members; and concerns around safety, security and work-life balance. This study contributes to existing entrepreneurship literature by identifying the social and structural inequalities that impede growth in women’s tourism business. The findings also highlight how women are disadvantaged in gaining digital competencies because of the macro gender digital divide and micro-level factors. Implications for women’s entrepreneurship policy development in relation to digital competencies are provided.
KW - digital competency
KW - digital entrepreneurship
KW - gender digital divide
KW - Latin America
KW - Women entrepreneur
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85150805038&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09669582.2023.2189622
DO - 10.1080/09669582.2023.2189622
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85150805038
SN - 0966-9582
JO - Journal of Sustainable Tourism
JF - Journal of Sustainable Tourism
ER -